Basic tips for solving electrical problems in your home

 

If you have ever had an electrical appliance stop working right in the middle of its use, you know how frustrating it can be to have electrical problems in your home. Electrical faults can be caused by something as simple as a tripped circuit breaker or as complex as faulty or outdated wiring. Electrical troubleshooting is a carefully planned elimination process that helps determine the root cause of a problem.

Because a home's electrical wiring system is complicated, an electrician may be needed to solve the problem. However, if you want to try to find the source of the problem yourself, there are some simple techniques and questions you can ask to solve the electrical problem.

Remember: safety first! Always make sure that you are not confronted with live wires.

1. Does the device work? 

First of all, make sure that the device is connected or that the bulb is not burnt out. Plug another working object into the socket to check if there is current.

2. Is the problem local or widespread?

Does the problem only affect one outlet or is there no current in the whole house? Power cuts throughout the house are usually related to a problem with the electricity company. Check whether your neighbours have also experienced interruptions. 

3. Check circuit breakers and fuses 

Circuit breakers are designed to cut the power when a circuit is overloaded to prevent fire or electric shock. Sometimes it is possible to solve the problem by disconnecting a device from the circuit and reinserting the circuit breaker.

4. Check electrical diagrams 

These drawings are a map of the house's electrical wiring and show how the circuits are divided. They can help you locate the problematic circuit. 

5. Switch off the problem circuit 

This is important! Once you have identified the faulty circuit, be sure to switch it off as a basic safety precaution. It is advisable to mark the circuit to inform others that you are working on it, to prevent it from being reset accidentally and causing an electric shock. 

6. Locate the trigger 

Once the circuit is deactivated, inspect the area of the house to locate the element that tripped the circuit breaker. Sometimes the culprit is too many items connected to a circuit or something like a hair dryer or stove. 

8. Inspection of connections 

After making sure that the power is off, check the electrical connections for anything loose that could cause a short circuit. 

9. Neutral Wire Inspection 

Check all neutral connections to the source and any junction leading to the problem area. If a hot wire is not connected to a neutral wire, it can break the entire circuit.

10. Call an electrician 

If troubleshooting has been unsuccessful or if you are not sure how to proceed, call a professional electrician to solve the problem!  

Call the Emergency Electrician in Southampton. We are your right contact partner.